After the Fall
by TillEvermore
Summary: Everything changed for the citizens of Cocoon, years later they've begun a new life..but a new enemy approaches with his eyes set on Lightning, only Hope may be able to save the woman who helped him once...the woman he may even love. spoilers.
1. Power

A whole new world had beckoned the survivng members of Cocoon after what was being labeled "the Fall from the Heavens". Few had imagined the catastrophe that would result from the dependence upon Eden and the rage of Barthandelus. Hope was one of the few who knew the true story behind the Fall. He had never dreamed his journey would lead him through the streets of Cocoon to the depths of Pulse to the top of Eden, and then again, he hadn't expected his mother to die either. Or to be friends with the one whom he had originally felt to be responsible for her tragic death.

But now the survivors had begun what should have been a slow process to rebuilding what had once been their civilization. The only problem? It would have to be built on Gran Pulse; the land of roaming monsters and giants capable of demolishing them in an instance. Fortunately, many aircrafts had been saved and with the slow movement to what had once been the crystallized Vanille's home Oerba, they had begun to rebuild. Not everyone had escaped Cocoon, and on the most restless of nights he had nightmares of the people trapped in the prison that had once been their home.

The nightmares still haunted him even after three years had passed. At his current age, he was considered an adult, and his added height over the years and muscle mass, made him seem even older. He was taller than Light, who had been his mentor through his journey, and someone who he idolized. Lightning could only be described as ferocious with a side of loyalty. Not many would dare cross her path, even her brother in law Snow was a little cautious at times. Being the lone soldier that she was most likely meant to be, she had built her own home on the icy slopes outside of Oerba, but not too far away. She kept to herself, except on the rare occasions she went to visit friends or family. It was a day like this that Hope had bumped into her when traveling through the now livable Oerba. The walkway was filled with children playing, and she, wearing ash gray pants, a white jacket, and pair of combat boots, skillfully maneuvered through them without interrupting their games. Hope met her with a warm smile, and she looked him over once over. His hair was the same, his eyes big and round, but his jaw was more refined, his biceps nearly bulging out his white t-shirt, and his black and yellow short reached his ankles. He stretched back with one hand behind his head and gave her a lopsided grin. "I'm really happy to see you," he managed to say while holding his grin.

She cocked her head sideways to look at him. "Sure you are. Any reason why?"

"It's been months since you went on your mission. How did everything go? Are you okay?"

With a shrug, she walked by him, "What do you think?"

"I think you have no intention of telling me."

"You're right." Turning slightly to look at him, she said, "And what have you been up to?"

"Perfecting my skills with this," he motioned to his hand, which was holding a steel boomerang with a bladed edge. "Every day I get better."

"Good work. Maybe I'll have to test you in a fight. It'll be a good workout." She smiled her radiant smile. It was a rare occurrence to see it from the girl who preferred a stony exterior. Maybe time had changed her, like it had changed Hope, but then just as quickly as it had come, the smile vanished, and it was back to business. "I've got to go talk to Snow. Don't accidently cut down any trees with that thing while I'm gone."

"I think it may already be too late," he grinned. He watched her walk away towards one of the houses when he yelled, "I have a question."

"Hmm?"

"Do you ever plan on letting anyone inside?"

"Inside where?"

"Your heart, your head, your inner being. You can't be closed off forever can you?"

She shrugged, "I guess I realize that my heart is only mine to have. It makes fighting easier. No hesitations." With those words she left him, with only his thoughts and the sound of children playing carefree in the background.

* * *

A breeze rolled through the valley, as it so often did, carrying along with it the whispers of humans. Devlin refused to grow accustomed to the sound of the mortals that insisted on making their new home on Gran Pulse. He often wondered how the Eidolons slumbered with the pathetic mortals making incessant noise. Once upon a time he had been a mortal like them, but he had reached a whole new level of being. With a quick flick of the wrist he summoned, as if from air, his heavy diamond blade Leviathan. More often than not, he had quickly murdered the creatures of Pulse. His next conquest was meant to be the Fal'cie Titan, who was taller than any mountain, and whose silhouette alone could eclipse the earth below.

Now his plan to kill Titan, the being who recycled life, and kept Gran Pulse alive, would have to wait. Longing for the thrill of the fight, had twisted his thoughts throughout the centuries, but one thing had never failed him, and that was his ability to sense a worthy opponent. What drew him to this particular one was the way it could move in synch with its Eidolon. Having an Eidolon alone made it more appealing than the rest of the herd of pathetic humans. An eidolon could present a moderate thrill to the fight. Even more so, his new opponent, or more appropriately labeled, _prey_, was a female. Beautiful, and deadly all in one, and a reminder of someone he once knew, she would be the perfect pre-battle to his fight with Titan. He could barely contain his amusement as he effortlessly tossed his diamond blade in the air and caught it one handedly. This would be one of his best games yet...


	2. Markings

In one fluent motion, the boomerang soared into the air, swirled high into the sky as if hoping to caress the clouds, and returned forcibly back into Hope's hand. Standing alone in a field of wild green grass, being watched by a lazy penguin creature with a flower on its head, he waited for the right moment. A steady vibration had shaken the ground, growing increasingly more as time went on. If he wasn't mistaken, something large was headed his way, and being one of the Protectors, a member of the Oerba Protection Force, it was his job to stop whatever creature was coming his way. Large solid walls had been built around Oerba to better keep out unwanted intruders, but the Protection Force was a way of making sure that all creatures stayed out. A few feet away was a steep cliff that looked over a lush green valley filled with numerous foliage, creatures, and remnants of things that once were. In the distance, he could just make out the shape of a new city built with technology left over from the Fall, called Rosa Edge. Most of the survivors lived there, but some resided in Oerba, a few chose a life of solitude, and some chose to live in another city built in ancient ruins in an oasis called Ifrit's Peak.

"Something big is headed this way," a voice stated. Hope turned to see Lightning, with the blade Lionheart in her hand. Casually she stood beside him and looked out over the valley. "Most likely it's a behemoth, you in the mood for a fight?"

He nodded wordlessly.

"I talked to Snow and he thought it'd be a good idea for me to take someone with me on my next assignment. Of course, he wanted to come, the fool he is, thinking he could protect me so Serah wouldn't have to worry, but I had a better idea. If I have to take anyone it should be you. I trust you Hope, and we went through a lot together, in addition to that, I know you're well trained. Peace of mind is what Serah needs, and I promised her I wouldn't do this alone."

Excitedly he turned to her, "A mission with you? I'll help in any way I can. It'll be an opportunity for me to get stronger too. Can I ask what this mission is all about?"

With a quick nod, she told him the details, "When citizens had been evacuated from Cocoon, there were multiple military aircrafts used to transport citizens and we have them at our disposal, but all either need or will need repairs, and parts we do not have. Someone needs to take an air craft back up to Cocoon, enter the crack, find supplies, and return. The main thing is few are skilled enough to go up there, and monsters could still lurk the streets. Sazh has his son, Snow has Serah, and although I hate to ask you, you're the only one I can trust left."

"I'm not a kid anymore Light, you can trust me. Even when I was a kid you could trust me, so this won't be a problem. You don't always need to protect me."

"I don't mean to, you just mean a lot to me, and I don't want you hurt."

He let out a frustrated sigh, and she frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he muttered. "So what else? Where do we get this ship?"

"We need to travel through the valley below to Rosa Edge, there's a ship there that will take us to Cocoon. We can leave tomorrow." A vibration ran through the ground beneath their feet, and she outstretched her arm so that Lionheart would be ready for battle. "I assume you've been waiting for this creature to arrive?" Hope only nodded in response as he prepared himself for battle. Lightning placed her hand firmly on the ground, letting the vibrations pulse up her arm. "A behemoth most likely and a big one at that, is coming our way."

Sure enough, a large behemoth with two gigantic curled horns on its head came barreling into the field. Hope had never seen a behemoth of its size, and it would make a formidable opponent. He outstretched his hands, "Firaga!" Flames encircled the monsters, as Lightning jumped high into the air. With a twist, she plummeted back down to the earth, landing on the creature's back, and sunk her blade into its unprotected flesh. A thunderous roar left the creatures mouth, as it turned abruptly to throw Lightning off its back. With an unmistakable grace, she launched herself back into the air, and pulled the blade out of its back. Meanwhile, Hope launched his boomerang at the behemoth, its bladed edge slashed across the creature's side. With a spin, it began to run full speed at Hope, who caught his boomerang with one hand and launched a serious of magic attacks at the creature. None of the blow halted the creature, as it continued its run. He spotted a blur from the sky, and Lightning impaled her blade into the creature's back one last time. With a yelp, the monster stumbled side ways, it large body felt to the ground with an impressive shake. Lightning yanked her blade out the monster and walked over to Hope.

"Good work."

"Thanks," he said as he put his boomerang onto his back. "You're looking as agile as ever." Hope noticed how the sun's light made her eyes look an olive green.

"One day I won't be fast enough, that's why I have to keep training. I'll meet you at your house tomorrow night. Make sure your father is okay with it." She smiled lightly and began to leave.

"I'm not a kid Light, I don't need permission from my dad."

"I know you're not a kid anymore Hope."

"Do you?"

Instead of replying, she simply left Hope to his own thoughts, which unfortunately for him, all revolved around her.

* * *

Lightning had arrived early in the morning with a small backpack. It was her intention to get through the valley in two days at the most. Hope had a sinking suspicion that she could've made it through in a day on her own, the extra day was probably because he was tagging along. Of course, he had no intention of mentioning his inner thoughts to Light, because he could be wrong. But what bothered him the most was the possibility that he was right.

The valley was backed with flowers, trees, and wild life, all lush and green. It reeked of life. From every direction he could hear noises, the cackling of birds, the swaying of leaving, and the roars of various predators. This valley was better described as a jungle. Lightning led the way dressed in brown leather boots, tan shorts, and a white tank with a black vest over top. A knife was attached to her thigh, and her backpack was slung over her shoulder. Hope had chosen to wear baggy green shorts, and a black shirt, he hoped the green would blend in well with the various plants, if the need to hide became apparent.

A narrow trail had been made in the valley, which Hope didn't find very reassuring, because it made them an easy target if they walked it. Light must have felt the same way because she chose to walk along a fallen tree instead of the path that had been made. He mimicked her actions, while carefully maneuvering along the rough bark of the tree.

"How are things with you?" she asked as she jumped off the tree on a giant boulder below and then to the ground.

"Fine. I've just been training, helping my dad, and just practicing more." He leapt on top of the boulder.

"Have you made any new friends?"Light questioned as she chopped vines out of her way, creating a whole new path for her.

"A few."

"Any girls you're interested in?"

He frowned. "I had a girlfriend, it didn't work out. She wasn't much of a fan for fighting."

"There'll be others. Look ahead there's hidden pathway, it's as if someone had been through here already." Immediately, she pushed through the bushes to find a small trail hidden between trees and plants. She walked forward, and stopped abruptly. Looking down at her legs, she stated, "My legs won't move." Thin vines had sprouted from the earth, and were inching their way her up ankles to her knees. With a quick movement, she reached for her sword, but a vine launched itself from the dirt and grabbed her wrist before she could withdrawal Lionheart from its case. "What is this?"

"Don't move." A wave of flames launched from his hands, burning the vines attached to her body. Without the weight of the plants pulling against her, she stumbled backwards, and Hope caught her between his arms. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," was all she said, she awkwardly stepped forward. Hope reluctantly let go of her and looked away. "Let's keep going. It seems this valley has few tricks we need to watch out for."

"Maybe we shouldn't take this pathway anymore, it seems like a trap."

"Good thinking, we'll make our own way. Come on Hope."

* * *

They continued their trek through the valley without any interference from wild vines or predators.

"It looks like we won't make it through in a day, unless we travel at night, and it's just too dangerous. Let's find a place to set up camp and spend the night."

"There's a small clearing a little further up between those two trees. Will that be good?"

She nodded in response tossed her things on the ground between the two trees. It took only minutes to get a fire started, courtesy of Firaga. They sat across from each other, separated by the fire. The night sky was filled with stars like speckles of glitter painting the sky.

"You said you and your girlfriend didn't work out. Why?"

"What's with the small talk Light?"

She smiled. "Isn't this what most people do? Talk about their lives, daily events, and other life related things?"

"Yeah, but it sounds a little forced."

She shrugged. "Maybe I'm finally realizing that friendships falter without nourishment. So what was she like? Was she smart?"

"Well she thought a boomerang was a style of dance, so I'm not sure how smart she could be."

"Intelligence comes in many forms."

"She also thought my name Hope was short or Hopeful."

Light laughed at this. "Sounds like quite the girl."

"If it's any consolation, I learned through her what I want. A girl who is capable of being vulnerable, yet strong. Someone who has a passion, and a life that doesn't necessarily revolve around me. We all need our own hobbies and habits. "

"Sounds like you do know what you want." She stretched.

Hope looked at Light thoughtfully; the way her sand colored looked in the light was incandescent. His eyes trailed to the fire but he caught a hint of something else. On lights let ankle, was a black marking that curled around her ankle like a snake. He leaned forward, "Light what is that?"

Light looked down at her ankle and touched the marking. With a confused look, she met Hope's gaze, "I don't know."

And those were last words she said, before she collapsed on the ground.


	3. Tricks

For a second, everything in his world slowed to a halt as he saw his companion collapsed upon the ground. Then, it all began to move again, and before he knew it, he was holding her in his arms.

"Light!" he yelled. He placed his ear against her chest so that he could hear her heartbeat. It was steady. A sigh left his mouth; it was one that he hadn't realized he was holding. On her left ankle, the markings had begun to slowly fade, making Hope suspicious of what it was. A vivid memory returned to him, reminding him of the vines that had attacked and held onto Light. Most likely, they were the reason behind the mark, but it had begun to fade. Relief should have been the first emotion he felt when he realized this, but instead he felt dread. Nothing was as simple as that. There was no way the plants would mark an individual, cause her to pass out, and then let that be the end of it. It was too _simple._

A low rustle caught his attention. Hope picked Light effortlessly off the ground, and carried her into the thicket of bushes. With a flick of his hand, he silenced the flames he had created for her and him, leaving the area once again in darkness. Every instinct in his body told him to move. Carrying Light was trickier than he expected. Even more frustrating was his inability to see in the foreboding valley. The moon offered little light to guide him. For the first time in years, the dark scared him. Or maybe it wasn't the dark. Maybe it was just the fear of losing Light. He had no idea what was happening to her, and it frightened him to see the headstrong woman so vulnerable. Normally, she wouldn't need his protection, but this was far from an average day.

With quiet recollection, he remembered that Rosa Edge was still miles away; they had made it more than halfway to the city before settling in for the night. Behind him, he heard something moving around frantically, and he was aware of how close it was.

Normally, he would have logically thought about the situation, figured out what was best, and how to handle it. But he had a solution, one that was a little reckless. He placed Lightning on the ground.

With a stern look, he called out, "Alexander!" Beneath his feet, the earth shook ferociously. A sudden light flashed, and Alexander, the giant metallic Eidolon, appeared before him, and with his appearance, he knocked down a large group of trees. Hope picked Lightning back up, and launched him into the air, landing on Alexander's top. "Alexander! To Rosa Edge, we have to protect Light."

With silent obedience, the gigantic creature made its way through the valley. With each step the eidolon took, the earth shook in response. It wouldn't be difficult for an enemy to locate them, but few enemies would be bold enough to face such a gigantic creature. Hope could only pray that Alexander's strength, and his own, held out long enough to get Light safely into Rosa Edge.

In the distance, Hope thought he heard a noise that he hadn't expected. It sounded like a laugh. He pushed the absurd thought out of his mind, and focused on getting his friend to safety, from whatever was in the valley.

* * *

Alexander brought him to the edge of the valley. Hope launched himself off his Eidolon, landing with perfect balance, with Light still in his arms. "Thank you friend," he said, as the Eidolon disappeared.

Large stone steps lead upwards to Rosa Edge. They seemed almost endless in the dark. He made sure Light was secured in his arms, took at deep breath, and began his climb up to the top. His energy had been largely depleted from summoning Alexander, but it seemed like the quickest method to escape the valley. He had never taken the time to visit Rosa Edge, because he felt secure in Oerba, and it was home.

The city was said to be three levels: the bottom being the business section, the middle being the residential area, and the top being the place where the aircrafts and supplies were stored. In an effort to support equality, all residences were the same and on the same level, as opposed to some being better than others. Hope had wondered how long it was going to last, before someone's feeling of superiority changed everything. He refocused his attentions to making it up the steps, and to his surprise he reached the last step. Part of him had believed they were never going to end.

Rosa Edge seemed to have been built atop a flat terrain that was surrounded by rocks to the north and west, and a cliff to the east. Most likely it had been chosen for its closeness to Oerba and the security the rocks provided, although the cliff didn't seem too reassuring, a wooden fence had been built in front of it.

Hope noticed that all the homes and businesses seemed to be the same box shape with a two front windows and a door in the center. Most had signs or banners out front, most likely advertising something the merchants were selling. He wondered what level a doctor would be on.

"Are you okay?" someone asked.

Hope had been too preoccupied with his own rampant thoughts, that he hadn't noticed a young brunette girl wearing a long pale pink dress. "I need help for my friend, she collapsed in the valley."

The girl nodded, "Oh my gosh, follow me quickly!" She ran off to the left most end of the market district, to a building that was bigger than the others. With a frantic wave of the arm, she gestured for him to enter as she held open the door. "A doctor and nurse are always on staff. It is straight ahead."

Slowly he maneuvered Light through the doorway and entered the square room. The walls had been painted an eggshell white, the floor was gray stone, and single beds filled the room. A large medical cross was painted red in the center of the furthermost wall. It was almost exactly how he expected a hospital to look, especially one built in Gran Pulse. A large man dressed in blue garbs hurried over to hope. "I'm a nurse," he stated quickly, "Place her down on the third bed in the second row."

Hope didn't need to be told twice. He followed the burly nurse's instructions, and gingerly placed her on the bed. Dirt from her shoes dirtied up the white sheets, but Hope could care less.

"What happened?" the nurse asked as he examined Lightning.

Hope explained the strange plants and the markings, and the man nodded. "Yes, they're Eliptis Plants. They're rare, and it's even rarer for them to attack. They leave a mark on their enemy, which slowly sedates them. That would explain why your girlfriend collapsed."

"Friend," Hope corrected.

"Yeah whatever. It seems strange they would attack her, but I haven't actually heard of those plants being located in this region, they are actually located further north and are indigenous in those regions. This is an oddity." The nurse walked over to a folding chair and brought it over for Hope to sit in. Hope thanked the man and sat down.

He frowned to himself as he relived the events of the day. Her illness had been explained, but it didn't make logical sense for those plants to be in the area or to attack her. She hadn't threatened the vines at all, and the way the vines had latched onto her was unexpected. Something wasn't sitting right with him.

Before Hope knew it, he had fallen fast asleep.

* * *

When Light awoke, every one of her senses was on edge. She took in her surroundings, and made the simple observations that she was in the hospital, and that Hope must have brought her there. He was deep in sleep, his white blonde hair was sticking out in every direction, and his left hand was propping up his head. Lightning smiled to herself, and instinctively pushed the hair away from his face.

"Hope," she whispered. He didn't stir from his sleep. With a quick jump, she got out of bed and looked for a person to assist her. A giant of a man was helping a patient on the other side of the room, and a young girl was standing next to the door way. Dressed in a pale pink dress with dark brown pigtails, the girl looked like she was out past her curfew. But she also seemed like the only one available to give her answers.

"Hey," Lightning said as she approached the girl, who looked both intimidated and in awe. "How did I get here?"

"Your boyfriend carried you all the way here from the way it seemed. He was so tired, and had you in his arms. Malik, our nurse, told me that you had a marking on your leg from a plant that attacked you earlier. The marking is actually a sedative that slowly takes affect over the course of a few hours. That seems the most reasonable explanation for why you collapsed. At least, that's what Malik said, you can ask him for the details."

Lightning nodded. "Thanks. I'm going to go. Tell Hope that I'm heading to the airport on the third level."

She nodded, "Yes miss."

Light laughed at the word 'miss'. She swore the girl was one second away from calling her "Mam".

* * *

Perfection. To many that singular word was something that he or she would never reach. It was an unattainable goal. Devlin felt differently. No. He _knew_ differently. Perfection was just out of his reach, his fingers close enough to graze the edges. She would never be perfect, but killing her would bring him one step closer to being the ideal being. He had to admit to himself, that he would have been disappointed if the plants had done their work and he had killed her as easily as that. Although, it wasn't all to her credit. She had the boy with her. He seemed to have just reached adult hood and reeked of youth and hormones. The eidolon that the boy had summoned, Alexander, was a familiar foe from a time long before. A time he could hardly remember, except for the bitter taste it left in his mouth. It was a time when he was human.

Devlin stood silently in the shadows with nothing but his thoughts as he watched the woman make her way up to the upper level of Rosa Edge. Most likely, she had a mission to complete, and she wasn't going to let a minor incident deter her resolve. His eyes were drawn to the hospital, and he smiled to himself. The boy was still inside and he was more than enough fun for now. He made his way towards the hospital with his sword Leviathan in hand. It was going to be a fun night.


	4. Sure

Hope lay silent in his chair possessed by his dreams. He dreamt of a world high above the land, Cocoon. As he meandered the broken streets of Eden, he noticed the ruin and destruction left behind. Corpses filled the sidewalks, buildings had turned to ash, bridges had collapsed, and cars littered the streets. The sky was a lifeless gray which reflected the sadness of the once vibrant city.

"Hello."

Quickly, Hope turned around to see who had spoke. A girl stood before him with long flowing black hair. Her skin was the color of mocha, her eyes violet, and she wore a tight fitting white dress which contrasted oddly with her raven colored hair. "Who are you?" Hope questioned.

"I can not tell you my real name. At least not right now," she stated with a look of disbelief, "but you can call me Siren."

"Siren what are you doing here in Cocoon?"

"The real question is _when_ are _you _going to come to Cocoon?" When she spoke this time, she smiled widely, as if she was too happy to contain it.

"I am in cocoon."

"No. I do have to admit you're the closest thing to a human I have met since awakening, but no my dear, you're not here. You're there. I need you to come here. Things are falling out of place and I need to put them back together. This place isn't meant for me, I need to return to my home before it's too late. I'm going to need your help Alexander."

"I'm not Alexander. He's my Eidolon."

She frowned and crossed her arms. "Eidolon? But your energy is similar to his, unless..." Her eyes expanded and she gasped. "Wake up my friend. You need to wake up!"

* * *

Lightning had been to Rosa Edge before. Of course, it had been on a much simpler pretext. She had merely been trying to get her sister a wedding gift, and it had been raining outside, the clouds a nightmarish black, and the wind beat against the town angrily as if to destroy it. With her cloak wrapped tightly around her, she had rushed for cover under an overgrown tree with unusual blue leaves, until the rain had settled down, and the wind had ceased its brutal attack.

Now she stood under that same blue tree, fifteen feet tall, with long branches extending in various angles. Gently, she placed her hand on the tree, smiled to herself, and continued to the top tier of Rosa Edge. At certain moments her mind would drift back to her companion. He had saved her from whatever threat she had faced in the forest, and now she wondered what other dangers they would face, and if she would be able to protect him. It was probably safer if she sent him back on his way to Oerba instead of allowing him on such a dangerous mission. Part of her knew that she had to believe Hope would be okay, especially since he wasn't a little boy anymore. Hope was a man now.

On the third level of Rosa Edge stood a steel building, rectangular in shape, and simple in design. Loudly she knocked on the steel doors at the entrance.

"Password," a stiff voice questioned from the other side of the door.

"From the fall of Cocoon, remains a shattered shell."

"Enter."

The door slowly opened, allowing for Light to slip in quickly before it shut once again behind her. A man stood before her with spiky white hair and eyes the color of a dying ember, her was six foot, lean yet muscular, and he had a strange look to him. He was almost ferocious and angelic at the same time with his gentle handsome face, but intimidating eyes. He was gorgeous.

"We talked before," he began, "Sure Brec."

Light smirked, "your mother named you 'Sure'?"

He rolled his eyes, "Your mother named you 'Lightning'?"

"Are you two done?" An irritated voice cut in. The two turned to a orange haired, tan, short girl with a her hair in a sloppy bun, dressed in an over-sized grey coat. "Lightning, pleased to meet you. I am Naranja. I will be your pilot."

"Pilot?" Lightning asked.

"Is that a problem?"

"I thought I'd be flying, I've taken proper training now with the vehicles."

"Yes, but if for some reason you do not come back..."

"You guys get your ship back," Light finished.

The girl nodded.

"I'll be accompanying you too," Brec added, "where is your partner?"

"Hope? He's in the hospital, there was a minor incident."

"What kind of incident?" Brec and Naranja asked in unison.

"The kind that doesn't matter at the moment. When do we take off?"

"Well my commander as soon as possible. Let's get this over and done," Brec answered.

"Try not to die," Naranja stated as she left the two.

"Maybe you should go back and get your partner," Brec suggested.

"'Sure' thing."

"Tell your friend Thunder I said 'hi'"

"Cute," Lightning said sarcastically as she began to leave.

"I try."

* * *

When Hope opened his eyes again, the hospital was empty, not even the nurse was in sight. With slight effort he sat up in the bed, and felt the lingering words of the girl from his dream. Something bad was coming, but he couldn't be sure what exactly that was. Siren had wanted him to wake up and he did, so now he had to figure out why.

Across the room he spotted his boomerang and backpack. Gingerly, he climbed out of the bed and made his way over to his items. He had one hand on his boomerang when a chill ran up his spine.

Something was wrong.

Quietly, with his boomerang in hand, he scanned the room for any possible threats. The windows were boarded up with shutters, the door in the far corner was closed. If someone were to come, he'd have little room to move between the numerous beds, and even less room to navigate if someone should knock any of them over. Alexander would have been useful, but Hope was too weak after the last time he summoned the Eidolon.

There was a crack, and the door splintered into thousands of tiny pieces. Hope stayed on guard and stared at the doorway, only darkness was on the other side. In his peripheral vision he saw one of the windows shatter in the same manner. Silence followed, and all he could hear was the sound of his breathing.

"FIRAGA!" he called out as he released a blast of energy through the doorway and all the windows, the remaining windows shattered, yet nothing happened. "What a game are you playing..."

"Hope!"

The sound of Lightning's voice cut into his thoughts. She entered carefully through the door way, and rushed to Hope's side. "What happened?"

"Door shattered, then the window, someone was out there."

"I didn't see anyone when I was coming up."

"Whoever it was probably retreated when they saw you coming."

"Why would anyone want to hurt you?"

"Maybe someone doesn't want us going up to Cocoon."

"But why?" Light reassuringly rubbed his shoulder, "let's get out here, we need to go up to Cocoon now, we're running out of time."


End file.
